Identifying a vintage lathe

Hi, can anyone tell me anything about this lathe I have just bought to restore.

make,

age.

It looks in fair condition - at least, not a rust-bucket.

You may find it helpful to re-photograph the parts arranged logically even if not assembled; and the right way round (headstock to the left). As it is about the only part that may be identifiable by manufacturer in the picture, is the bed!

Looks like a Drunnond M series from the piccy

Welcome to the nuthouse

(keep every teeny grubscrew/washer you can find if anything drops out, it all finds a home eventually)

Edited By Ady1 on 21/09/2022 17:59:31

Or maybe a Pools? A number of pre-war small British lathes took that general form, a front view with all the bits in the right general place would help. At the moment hard to see many distinguishing features.

Dave

The leadscrew clutch handle is a significant identifying feature.

Thanks, yes it does seem to match a Drummond M…..I collect it tomorrow….

just hope it’s all there….

Then say yes to everything, and scan the floor for bits. Refuse nothing.

Look for a box of bits too, nuts, screws, washers, cogs, flat bits, funny looking metal bits, take it all

Good luck

Edit: The 4 studs for fitting the headstock to the bed? you can see the 4 holes

there must be a box somewhere with them in if they are missing

And where's the backgear? that's a solid shaft with 2 cogs attached that goes on the back of the headstock

The tailstock shaft has been withdrawn, that has parts to tie it to the bed

There's a box of bits somewhere and you really really need them

Edited By Ady1 on 21/09/2022 19:22:14

Hi Haydn it is an M type Drummond Myford lathe. There are a few web sites with help with these.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/703113663087249

https://groups.io/g/drummondlathe

Here is a picture of my lathe.

Good luck and collect any bits that may evan may not look like it belongs.

David

How certain is the identification? The reason I guessed it might be a Pools is these wings on the headstock:

David's Drummond looks different to me.

Dave

What I think is the tail-stock looks odd to me - has this photo been flipped left-to-right?

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

.

It’s not sharp enough to check the handedness of the screw threads

… but there is probably a useful clue on that timber on the floor

MichaelG.

The headstock may not be a drummond at all, where are the holes for the backgear shaft?

Yet the catellated front nut and rear lug are there

But the rest of it looks Drummond

It looks like the headstock may have been "modified"

Edited By Ady1 on 22/09/2022 10:41:55

Hi, it could be like the unusual Myford one shown with serial J1102 dated 1944 Drummond M type on Tony's web site, which may explain the dog clutch lever at the headstock end of the bed shown in Haydn's photo.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 22/09/2022 11:01:42

Problems :-

Mod edit: rotated photos.

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 23/09/2022 08:52:36

Problems :- if you look at the photo that started this post you will see a plastic tub containing bits and bobs, bolts etc…this has gone missing. Does anyone know the bolt size to bolt the headstock to the base.. I will try and post pictures of other bits. In particular the rusty ( surface) cogs……how will I know if they belong to this machine ? Does it have loads of cogs….what drives the lead screw?

You've got quite severe headstock damage AND bed damage, this unit is not-looking-good

If you haven't paid yet I'd walk away

There's a few bits and bobs that will be useful but it's basically knackered

100 quid for spares tops kinda thing, but only if you already had a working Drummond

a lot of the parts you really need are missing

You can zoom into the picture using ctrl +

Edited By Ady1 on 22/09/2022 19:41:08

You can indeed zoom in with CTRL and +, and back.... Only it wipes out your part-written reply! Why are so many photos upside-down?

That apart...

.

The rusty cogs ("cogs" ?) do look like the lathe's change-wheels, well some of them anyway. I think there should be more of them to complete the set.

The fasteners, including the studs and nuts or machine-screws holding the headstock to the bed, are most likely of BSW and BSF threads, depending on their size and purpose on the machine. It may be possible to obtain new ones of appropriate size, though possibly not cheaply.